The idea of the Perennial Philosophy of Aldous Huxley leads one to the idea that God is too big for any one religion. How is it that sometimes people outgrow their religion of childhood? James Fowler, among others, has mapped out a model of spiritual development. Osho says that a person cannot enter into a spiritual life until he/she rebels against childish religious beliefs. Notes On A Spiritual Life intends to explore deeper understandings of an authentic spiritual life.

Spirituality quotes

Saturday, March 10, 2018

What are you teaching?

You teach what you believe you are and what you believe others are to you. It is not so much about what you say but how you say it. It is not so much about what you say as what you believe to be true about yourself and others.

It is written in A Course In Miracles, "The self-deceiving must deceive, for they teach deception. And what else is hell?"

When I encounter the self-deceiving I either laugh or cry. What else is there?

Sometimes with a gentle laugh I will say, "You know that thing that you do?" or "You know that thing that always seems to happen to you.?"

For most people, self-deception is unconscious. They are not aware of the habitual patterns of behavior, fueled by false beliefs, reinforced by misperceptions and faulty generalizations that have trapped them into a hell which they think will provide them with happiness.

Along comes a teacher of God who suggests to them that there might be a better way. There is a better way to think, and a better way to behave. With this better way there is a feeling of peace and not just happiness but joy and bliss.

The teacher of God often has no idea what (s)he has said or done to nudge the person onto a better path. The teacher of God has no control over the outcome. The teacher of God just does what (s)he does and turns the consequences over to their Higher Power.

All the teacher of God has done is make a choice to leave the path of the ego and journey on the path of the Spirit. This choice generates forgiveness and in forgiving themselves and others for their previous mistaken choices, gratitude for Love's presence in their lives wells up and exudes a fragrance as beautiful and lovely as one has ever experienced. This experience of God's Love is contagious.

Walking the path of the ego, people teach hell, and walking the path of the spirit people teach heaven. What are you teaching? What do you wish to learn?

As Stephen Gaskin taught, in the last analysis all we have to offer another is our own state of being. What state is your state of being in? What path are you walking?